Stain the Greatest Growlithe of them all
by isiahd
Summary: Just a small story in work still i wrote for my little sister to keep her quiet on a rainy day.


Karnos was a great and proud Growlithe, he had long been the Guardian and second in command to the pack leader, his beautiful and life long mate, Whiterose, had yet again filled him with joy announcing that she would give birth to a new litter of puppies sometime early in the spring. They were both getting on in years and they both knew this would probably be their last. He stayed close by her, making sure she went without nothing, nuzzling up to her keeping her safe and warm through the long winters nights, his duties to the pack not floundering once, as he stood guard on a rocky outcrop most days, letting out a warning growl if a human was spotted in their territory. He would stand bravely and challenge any wandering loner that encroached. The ninth pack where known to be friendly to loners, they enjoyed being sociable. The whole pack would gather and listen to stories of the other packs and talk in hushed whispers when they found news that they found unsettling.  
  
On just such a night, was Karnos's 3rd litter born, to their dismay and astonishment the first pup to be born was a female, she was small and seemed lethargic. He gently nudged the pup hoping it would find its way to feed and suckle, her fur was extremely pale for a Growlithe, and he tried hard to keep his face from Whiterose fearing their first born of this littler would not survive the night. After what seemed to Karnos an eternity the small pale pup made a few soft mewling sounds and started to suckle. The second to arrive was a much more stronger looking female, she had all the looks of being a fine upstanding member of the pack. Right away she found her way to her mother nuzzling up, her flame colored fur bustling and sparkling in the pale moonlight. Karnos let his attention drift back to the smaller weaker pup for a mere second, missing the birth of his son, the pup from the outset was curious and a little too adventurous for his own good. He managed to shuffle up to Whiterose and started to suckle burbling out the rich and much needed milk down his chin. The large pup from the first moment attempted to show her dominance other the others by pushing the much smaller and paler pup away, taking her place. After taking his fill however the male pup, cuddled up to his small sister and let himself dream watching the stars in the sky above dreaming deep thoughtful puppy like dreams.  
  
Karnos looked down at his son, from the start he could tell he would be a dreamer forever, lost in what could be and not what should be. He sighed, he knew he would love these 3 probably more than he had any of his other offspring as they would be the last, but felt a little dismayed that the one he knew was already his favorite would out shine her siblings in all areas.  
  
As was tradition the pups would be named by the other members of the pack. On their sixth week of life the naming ceremony was to take place. First led out was the pale one as Karnos had come accustomed to calling her, her fur was not the bright flame color of her sister, her eyes were not dark and shinning and her nose was pale to the point it looked pink. She was named Phantomrose, which seemed to please her mother greatly, the frail and smaller than average pup had become the light of her mother's eyes, she was gentle and loving and had a much deeper insight than anyone could expect from a pup so young. Next came Karnos favorite he felt great pride as she walked alone facing the pack sitting in front of them head up her eyes bright as her name was called, Flame red. She turned beamed lovingly at her father as she walked back to sit beside her mother, it wasn't till that moment Karnos noticed that his 3rd pup was not present.  
  
At that moment, just before Karnos went to stand before the pack elders and apologize the 3rd pup arrived much by accident as he ran chasing a Butterfree into the clearing, skidding and nearly ending up with his nose hard against the leader of the packs paws. Lifting his head, up shaking it slowly a big puppy smile all over his face and large smudge on the corner of his muzzle from here he'd been eating berries, one of his ears bent out of place his tongue hanging out slightly as he panted. He wrinkled up his nose, gave his back a lazy itch, and looked up at the leader, gulping when the memory flooded back to him of where he was and what was meant to be going on.  
  
Quickly managing to get an 'I'm sorry look' on his face, pulling his tongue firmly back in his mouth. The elders, chuckled at the pup, and thus named him, Stain. Karnos was not pleased, this name was new to him and had no history, no other had been named this before. Stain, was as any other pup, but lacked the ability to know when to stop, he had boundless amounts of energy, his curiosity knew no end, but what was his worse trait by far, was his tendency to go off alone and dream. Day after day he would wander off alone, watch lint in the clear sky and jump pouncing fancying himself to be a great Growlithe warrior of times long past. He would follow the loners that visited them around endlessly asking them questions, deep in the belief that they were somehow magical and mysterious. His lessons always coming second to whatever took his fancy when he awoke. Stain, despite being a dreamer, was popular with the other fast growing pups, he would entertain them for hours with his stories, and babbling of great beasts, the fact that they all knew that the only great beast Stain had ever come in contact with was an angry Beedrill didn't in anyway stop their fun though.  
  
He and Phantomrose, have just mastered their first attempt at doing an ember move, unfortunately for Karnos though, Stain set a bush in front of him on fire covering Karnos's proud strong white chest in gray ashes. Flame-red rolled around in laughter after seeing the angry look on her fathers face, Stain looked at the pair of them dismayed lowered his head and tail and backed away.  
  
Phantom, scurried after him resting her head lightly on his neck nudging his ear with her nose.  
  
Phantom, "we, going to still run away and become fearless Growlithe warriors that will go down in the storys." Nudging her brother a little more to try and cheer him up.  
  
Stain sat down, giggled back wagging his tail furiously.  
  
Stain, "you bet ya, Phantom, we will be the biggest, and we will be the strongest .."  
  
At this moment, Flame-red sauntered over.  
  
"You pair couldn't even fight a Bellsprout, let alone anything else, you should really go back to Mom and hide," letting out a little puff of smoke trying to look dominating.  
  
Stain, lifted one paw slightly off the ground looking at her, nudged Phantom back.  
  
Stain, " come on Phantom, it's suddenly started to smell around here."  
  
Flame-red lifted her tail, stuck her nose in the air and turned her back on the pair of them.  
  
As for all young the time comes to leave the family unite, to make ones place in the world, to leave and find your innerself, you're own strengths and weaknesses, and like all young when the time comes it can be a frightening time.  
  
As the pack gathered to find out what each pups destiny would be, Karnos, sat high and proud on a rock over looking the meeting place, his daughter Flame-red, had already be approved as his trainee, he had worried about Phantom, thinking the pup way to frail to leave and useless for anything in the pack, but he had been wrong very wrong, she had been chosen by the elders to join the story tellers, to learn the sacred tales and to sit at large gatherings and tell the deeds of ancient brave growlithes, unfortuneately even though Stain had been offered a spot in the pack as a hunter, his out going and dreamer son had not as yet decided. Karnos knew deep down, Stains heart was set on becoming a loner, to wander far from the pack and find his own place.  
  
As the years pups wandered and swore to the elders the age long promise to do their best, he watched with baited breath, all though him and his son did not bind well, he wished no ill on the headstrong and rather entertaining pup, deep down he knew he would miss his antics. 


End file.
